As a part of a regular Times’ feature, Room for Debate opinion, readers can learn what six knowledgeable media commentators think about the always evolving digital world.

For instance, MIT Professor Sherry Turkle describes the tendency of social media users to “hide” from one another, substituting quick text nuggets for what used to be face-to-face interaction. Morra Aarons Mele, a digital manager and founder of Women Online, acknowledges the communication downsides, but says that social media and the digital professional work it has created make the world more egalitarian.

The other essays are just as interesting and thoughtfully written.

Find out what these six experts think about the changes, the effects of these changes, and whether these writers expect social media to be permanent part of our lives in the near and far future.

This Blog’s Mission

If you are a parent, teacher, or other adult working with children this blog aims to help you learn lots more about helping digital kids grow into thoughtful, collaborative, and savvy digital citizens. The blog's mission is to help adults understand more about the digital world, 21st century learning, and the virtual environment that children take for granted.

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One of My Favorite Student DigCit Posters

Want to Learn More About Social Media?

Watch an excellent 2009 lecture delivered by Danah Boyd, an expert on teens and social media, at Olin College of Engineering.